by Kelly Kennedy, USA TODAY

by Kelly Kennedy, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - The federal government must do a better job of informing health insurance customers they may be eligible for financial help buying insurance, according to a report released Tuesday by one of the Affordable Care Act's strongest supporters.

"I would say we continue to be incredibly supportive, and we are thrilled with the news that 6 million people have already signed up," said Rachel Klein, director of organizational strategy and enrollment program director at Families USA. "But there are some ways we can make it even better. We have a lot more people that we want to get signed up."

There were some surprises as Families USA and other groups worked to enroll people across the country, including how many people wanted one-on-one assistance, she said. The organization kept in touch with 4,500 enrollment helpers, and Klein said they have been "swamped."

"All of their appointments are booked," Klein said, adding that things picked up again after the Obama administration announced the begin the enrollment process before deadline could finish in the first weeks of April. "They have appointments booked through April."

People who had never had insurance before needed help understanding insurance terms, choosing plans that would best cover their families, and figuring out how the subsidies would work, she said. Many of them do not have computers at home or speak English as a second language.

"The website makes things much easier, but these are really complex decisions that people are making," Klein said. "It's a very new process, and they have a lot of questions."

People also did not know financial help was available in the form of subsidies or, in some states, expanded Medicaid, she "This is the most important thing people need to know to make the decision to apply for health coverage," Klein said. "There needs to be a sustained advertising campaign to help people understand."

And finally, she said the states need to streamline the way low-income people learn about Medicaid expansion. This could be done by coordinating Medicaid enrollment with enrollment in other low-income programs, such as food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"Only a few states have taken advantage of this opportunity," Klein said.

The report recommends:

â?¢ Increasing the number of navigators and helpers, as well as their resources.

â?¢ Create a year-round public-education campaign about the financial help available through the health exchanges.

â?¢ Allow people to enroll for insurance in 2015 after they file their 2014 taxes if they have to pay a penalty for not having insurance.